Aligning jig for shingles



May26, 1959 v E.- E. MILLS ALIGNING axe FOR SHINGLES Filed March 13.1956 Fig./

SHEET METAL ROF Edgar E. Mil/s INVENTOR.

w BY @190 Attorney:

ALIGNING JIG FOR SHIN GLES Edgar E. Mills, South Bend, Ind.

Application March 13, 1956, Serial No. 571,343

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-488) The present invention relates to a jig which isexpressly, but not necessarily, adapted to enable skilled, as well asunskilled, persons to reliably and successfully utilize the same duringthe course of applying and fastening asphalt, Wood, metal and equivalentroofing shingles to a roof.

More specifically, the invention pertains to a simple, practical andreliable jig, the use of which enables the user to maintain the laidshingles of a given row in prerequisite row alignment and speeds up theactual application and therefore constitutes a desirable time, money andlabor-saving tool.

In keeping with the requirements of an effectual and easy-to-use tool,suchas a jig, it is equipped with the necessary facilities orcomplements to enable evena comparatively unskilled user to cope withotherwise quite complicated shingle laying requirements by reason of thefact that uniformly laid rows of shingles will beaccurately positionedand nailed so that the lower edges of the shingles of the then finishedrow will serve accurately as a gauge in positioning the jig itselfwhereby the latter will correctly position the shingles of the nextabove row before they are nailed, these results being accomplished insuch a manner that the intended depth of lap or overlap, as the case maybe, is assured and uniform results are maintained.

It is believed that a jig to be desirable in a given line of endeavorshould utilize or involve a construction and arrangement of partsresulting in an easy and speedy instrumentality, one which is simplestin design, satisfactory in service and capable of complying not onlywith the manufacturing economies and requirements of manufacturers butthe needs of both retailers and users.

Briefly summarized, the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof ischaracterized by a portable structure some four feet or less in lengthand constructed of wood, lightweight aluminum or appropriate materialand comprising a first or bottom plate having a straight edge which isplaced and firmly held so that said straight edge abuts the availablelower marginal edges of the shingles of a row wherein said shingles havebeen already aligned and nailed to a roof, and a second platesuperimposed on said first plate, adjustable thereon and having astraight edge which is parallel to but spaced from said first-namedstraight edge and which is adapted to permit the loose shingles of thenext above row to be located in their prescribed positions, and heldagainst displacement until they too have been nailed in their intendedduly aliguedrow positions.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the. following description and the accompanying sheetofillustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like.parts throughout the same;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing a portion of a roof, acouple of rows of nailed, ready-to-use shingles and a succeeding orso-called subsequent row, at least one shingle thereof located inposition to bring about cor- United States PatentO 2 rect'alignment andnailing, and showing the jig and how it islused;

Figure 2 is a section on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows, said view being on an enlarged scale and ofa fragmentary type;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the jig havingan addedstructural modification;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed section taken through the jig on theplane of the line 4-4 of Figure 3 in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, similar to Figure'3, andwherein a further structural embodiment, or modification, is depicted;and,

Figure 6 is a-fragmentary section on'the line 66 of Figure-'5.

By way of introduction to the description of the details, it is to bepointed out that applying shingles, for instance asphalt shingles, to aroof usually involves the employment of stringing and striking linesand, especially where the job is a one-man operation, the results arethought to be exceedingly slow, costly and, what is more noticeable,wearying and tiresome. It is to be kept in mind, too, thathis generallynecessary when laying shingles with the aid of a conventional line tostop and make adjustments either up or down. Despite the fact that themanufacturers generally include instructions for spacing and applicationwith each bundle of asphalt shingles, squaring and layout requirementsare nevertheless difficult under current do-it-yours'elf practices. Aproblem and challenge has thus been posed for the provision of apractical, economical and easy-to-use layout and shingling gauge or jig.

a most instances'it will be a single-length plank or a board.

In, any event, it is rectangular and the approximate onequarter inchthickness thereof provides along one longitudinal edge what is heredescribed as a straight edge 8. In fact, this may be treated as theprimary straight edge. inwardly of the transverse ends 10 are fixedoutstanding studs 12 (modification Figs. 3 and 4) which constitutedetents andthese are selectively engageable with the properly chosenkeeper holes 13 which are formed inwardly of the transverse ends 14 ofthe upper orsecond plate. 16. The two plates Hand 16 constitute theover-all template or jig 18. It will be noted that theplate 16- isapproximately twice as wide (that is, 10' inches) as the plate- 6.However, it is approximately the same length; that is, 48 inches. Theplates may be either shorter or longer depending on the recognizedexpectations of one-man accomplishments. The bottom longitudinal edgeportion 20 has superimposed thereon a lengthwise strip or cleat 22 oneedge 24 of which constitutesta ledge for tools such as a square, ahammer, nails'and so on. The upper and more important edge 26 is asecondstraight edge and parallels and cooperates with the straightedge 8.Below it are lengthwise paralleling slots 28- or peepholes and thesehave graduations 30 cooperable therewith. The right angularly relatedrelatively short slots32, which are parallel to the-ends 14, areprovided intermediate the edges 20 and 26- and these" serve toaccommodate the screw-threaded shank portions 34 of coacting bolts. Thebolt-heads 35, as shown in Fig. 2, are countersunk. The projecting 3portions 34 of the bolts are provided with washers 36 and wing nuts 38.

Specific reference is now to be had to the modification or form of theinvention, the simplest adaptation appearing in Figs. 1 and 2. Here, theconeept,':gen erally speaking, has to do with the'first plate 6 having astraight edge 8 which is placed and firmly held so that the straightedge abuts the available marginal lower edges of the shingle of the rowwherein the shingles have already been aligned and nailed to the roof.There is a second plate 16 superimposed on the first plate 6 and it isadjustable thereon and it has a straight edge 26 which is parallel toand spaced from the straight edge 8 so as'to permit the shingles of thenext row above to be located in a prescribed position and held againstdisplacement. In this simple form of the invention the adjustment ismaintained merely by way of the two slots 32 and bolts 34 extendingthrough the slots andcarrying the clamping nuts 38.

In the modification seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the construction justdescribed is repeated except that here, to take care of a finer andstep-by-step adjustment, the keeper holes 13 are added alongside of theslots 32 these to accommodate the cooperating studs 12 in the mannerwhich is quite apparent'from Fig. 4.

With reference now to what may be treated as a third modification, it isto be pointed out that it may be desirable under certain circumstancesto use, instead of the keeper holes 13 and the studs 12, an arrangementof interlocking tongues and grooves. Therefore, and as shown perhapsbest in Fig. 6, the top surface, of the lower plate 6 is provided nearits edge 8 with two or more fixed ribs or tongues 40 and these areselectively keyed in the cooperating parallel and selectively usablegrooves 42.

It will be evident, therefore, that the claims which are hereinafterembodied are directed to the generic aspect of the over-all concept andto the several modifications seen, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 2; Figs.3 and 4; and finally Figs. 5 and 6.

It should be understood that a roof should be solidly covered withstraight edge boards, ship lap, tongue and groove or exterior plywood.This is then covered with a good grade of roofing paper nailed at thetop side only and only after all knot-holes, if any, are covered with apiece of tin or galvanized metal. It is generally suggested bymanufacturers that the top under edge of the roofing paper be tarred andmost manufacturers further suggest that a piece of galvanized metalabout 12 inches Wide be applied to the cave edge extending over the edgeof the cave about /2 or /1 of an inch. Bottom sides of the metal shouldbe tarred to prevent water from running up under the cave. The edge ofthis metal should be squared with the roof. A layer of shingles withslot up should then be placed over the metal and square with the metaland nailed. Onto this is then placed a row of shingles completely acrossthe building slot down, end slots equally distanced from each side ofthe building, edges of the shingles square with the metal and previousupside-down layer of shingles and nailed. We are now ready to apply thesecond layer of shingles with the aid of the jig.

I have found it more practical and it is recommended by somemanufacturers that a nail should be above each side of the slot and ateach side of the shingle but always high enough to be concealed by thenext layer of shingles. It is better to square the roof and apply themetal to the eave edge of the roof, square With the roof, beforeapplying the roofing paper. No further squaring is necesi may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use by skilled as well as unskilled persons in properly gauging,locating, holding and lining up roofing shingles which are applied byhand and finally nailed in prescribed row alignment; a portable jigcomprising a substantially imperforate elongated bottom plate at leastseveral feet in length and having generally flat top and bottom surfacesand being of a thickness greater than the thickness of the' thickestportion of the edge of the sary and as soon as the roofing paper isapplied the laying of the shingles can be started keeping the upsidedown shingles and the first top layer square with the cave edge metal.

shingle with which it is intended to cooperate, said edge constituting astraight-edge which is adapted to abut a cooperating lower marginal edgeof the shingles of a row wherein said shingles have already been alignedwith each other and nailed to a roof, and a generally imperforate topplate commensurate in length with and superimposed flatwise on andcompletely covering the bottom plate and adjustable on said bottomplate, the upper edge thereof constituting a straight-edge which isparallel to, in a horizontal plane above and spaced forwardly from saidfirst named straight-edge and is adapted to permit each shingle of thenext above row to be located in a prescribed position and held againstdisplacement until it has been nailed in its intended position, both ofsaid plates being generally rectangular in plan, said top plate being ofa width considerably greater than the width of the bottom plate andhaving its longitudinal edges extending well beyond the respectivelongitudinal edges of the bottom plate, the projecting upperstraight-edge portion of said top plate having graduations and alsohaving associated elongated slots providing peepholes, a longitudinalcleat superimposed upon the top surface of the top plate and locatedadjacent to and paralleling the lower longitudinal edge portion of thetop plate and cooperating with said top plate in providing anaccommodation and gathering space and ledge for tools, nails and thelike, the lower edge portion of said top plate projecting beyond andoverhanging the corresponding edge portion of said bottom plate, andmeans carried by and cooperating with the respective plates andfastening the same separably and adjustably together.

. 2. The structure defined in claim land wherein said means comprises,in each instance, a transverse slot formed in an end portion of the topplate and at right angles to the adjacent peephole slot, a plurality ofkeeper holes arranged in a row and cooperating with and adjacent to saidtransverse slot, said bottom plate being provided with a fixed boltextending through the cooperating slot and provided with an adjustingand retaining nut, said bottom plate being also provided with at leastone stud and said stud being selectively seatable in a selected one ofthe cooperating keeper holes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS'116,265 Babcock June 27, 1871 165,880 Schneider July 20, 1875 434,777Greene Aug. 19, 1890 563,830 Pelley July 14, 1896 683,456 Fisher Oct. 1,1901 920,941 Filkin May 11, 1909 1,606,252 McCallum d. Nov. 9, 1926

